STEVE PICKS UP HIS PACE as he walks after Freya. ''Freya!'' the Captain exclaims at the Goddess, who's walking towards her cabin.
''Frey, wait!'' Steve exclaims again as he grabs the Goddess' wrist. ''What?'' Freya asks timedly as she removes herself from the Captain's grip.
''I'm sorry, Frey. Nothing happened, I swear!'' the Captain explains, making Freya's eyes narrow in annoyance at the fact that he still doesn't get it. ''I know.'' she says simply.
''I-uh- I wanted to as-ask you something.'' Steve says, stumbling over his words as he awkwardly scratches his neck.
Freya curiously looks at him, giving him a sign to continue. ''Would you- uhm- would you wanna be.. m-my girl?'' Rogers asks awkwardly.
My girl.
The Goddess' eyes widen an small smile creeps on her face. ''I want nothing more, Steven.'' she exclaims happily before jumping into Steve's arms, the soldier easily catching her.
A bright grin enters both their faces as the look at each other lovingly, their faces mere inches from each others.
Steve's eyes flicker over to Freya's lips, he quickly leans in and connects them. Their mouth move against one another, this time more passionately.
The Captain sets her down and Freya giggles loudly. ''I love you. '' the Goddess of Love and War says with a big smile. ''I love you too.'' Steve replies, a same smile on his face.
The Goddess looks at Steve's expression of pure happiness and realisation dawns on her, a crippling fear entering in her stomach.
''Stevie, I have to tell you something.''
⭑ ⭑ ⭑
''So you're a Goddess...'' Steve breathlessly says, speaking for the first time in minutes of silence.
Freya nods softly, the Captain's eyebrows knit together as he looks at the Goddess, still conflicted about the whole thing.
''I- uh- I don't.. I don't know what to say- you're sure?'' Steve hastily says as he looks into Freya's eyes. ''I'm sure, hero.'' the Goddess says with a giggle.
''The Goddess of Love and War?'' the Captain says again, never once changing his expression of pure shock. ''That I am, yes.''
''I uh- are there really other planets?'' Steve asks in shock, unsure if Freya is asking the truth or if she's damn right crazy.
''Yes, there are.'' the Goddess replies. ''So what? You can like.. fly?'' Rogers asks, his mouth agape.
''Actually I can fly. But I also have telekinesis and enchanted stamina, fighting skills and combat. I have the power of fertility and extraordinary beauty, can turn anything into stone with a touch of my fingers if I wants to. And i have the ability to provoke desire and love.''
''What?'' he practically screams in response. ''Can you really?'' Steve asks as he leans forward. ''do you want me to show you?'' The Goddess asks with a smile, making Steve nod breathlessly.
Freya grabs a book from her bedside, and with the touch of her fingers it turns to stone. Steve's eyes widen as the Goddess hands him the book. It's heavy, and indeed, made of stone.
Next, the Goddess uses her telekinesis to lift up the book from Rogers' hands and flies it over to another bed. Steve follows the book breathlessly through the air, before he looks at Freya with a shocked expression.
''The rest I cannot show you, ever or just yet.'' Freya says, her accent thick. ''Ain't no thing, doll.'' Steve replies, his eyes still glued on the book and his mouth fallen agape in pure shock.
''So you can make people fall in love?'' Rogers asks, finally looking at the Goddess. ''Yes.'' Freya replies, her eyebrows knit together when she sees Steve look at her with a look she doesn't recognise.
''Oh, hero.'' the Goddess says as she realises. ''Don't worry, of course I didn't use it on you or me.'' Freya says sweetly as she grabs Steve's hand.
The Captains sends her a smile and squeezes her hand, before he leans in and plants a kiss on her lips.
''I- I just can't believe it.'' Steve finally says.
Freya had already told him about her engagement, the Bifrost and other Gods.
''Anything else I should know?'' Rogers asks, hesitantly for what's to come. ''I have two brothers.'' Freya eventually shrugs, a small smile entering Steve's face.
''Tell me about them.'' he says happily, making his girlfriend smile brightly.
And that she did, Freya talked about her brothers and childhood with them for nearly two hours, Steve listening breathlessly the whole time. Their finger entwined as lay they next to each other in bed, their gazes on the ceiling or each other.
The Goddess smiles to herself as she looks at Steve, amazed about the fact that there is life outside of Earth.
''Dance with me.'' Rogers says after a long time of silence. Freya looks at him with a surprised look. ''What?'' she asks with a giggle.
''Dance with me.'' Steve repeats, a wide grin on his face as he grabs her hand and lifts her off the bed.
The Captain quickly walks away, grabbing a Vinyl record from a desk and putting in into the music player.
We'll meet again plays throughout the cabin, the same song they danced to in the Stork club, a single by Vera Lynn.
Steve looks down at the Goddess with a loving glance, his arms wrapped around her waist as she holds him close while they slowly sway to the music.
As Freya study's his face, she knows.
This is real love.
⭑ ⭑ ⭑
For the following months, Captain America and the Howling Commando's stormed Hydra base after Hydra base.
They have taken down countless soldiers, Freya at Steve's side every single time.
Bucky, Freya and Steve had grown even closer, much to their bosses' dismays. Especially Freya and Bucky failed to keep their laughs at bay during important team meetings when they shared glances, acting like they were 13 year-olds in school again.
The Howling Commando's often watched the three in amusement. Freya and Bucky always stifling their giggles and Steve tries to shut them up, while visibly failing to hide his laughs.
The three are inseparable. They always have each other's back, on the battlefield and in their everyday lives.
One of the reasons that the Captain, the Goddess and the Sergeant are often referred to as the Three Musketeers.
Currently, the team was in the mountains as they waited for a signal of the Hydra base nearby.
''Remember when I made you ride the Cyclone at Coney Island?'' Bucky asks as he looks at Steve. ''Yeah, and I threw up?'' he says, making Freya lightly giggle.
''Yeah. This ain't payback, is it?'' Barnes asks, making his best friend grin widely. ''Now why would I do that?''
''We were right. Doctor Zola is on the train.'' Gabe Jones exclaims from behind the three. ''Hydra dispatcher gave him permission to open up to the throttle. Wherever he's going, they must need him bad.''
Steve nods and puts on his helmet, Freya makes sure her armour shifts nicely on her body while Bucky cocks his gun.
''Let's get going, they're moving like the devil.'' James Montgomery says as he looks through his goggles.
''We've only got about a 10-second window. You miss that window, we're bugs on a windshield.'' the Captain explains as he gets the zip line ready.
''Mind the gap.'' Montgomery says with a chuckle. ''Better get moving, bugs!'' Timothy 'dum dum' Dugan yells over the noise.
''Now!'' Freya says to Steve, yelling to go again as man after man take the zip line and end on the moving train, the Goddess following behind them.
Steve and Bucky move warily through the cabin, Freya and Dum Dum moving to the other side.
''I had him on the ropes.'' Barnes eventually sighs as his best friend helps him off the ground. ''I know you did.'' the Captain banters back with a grin.
Suddenly, a soldier in a big suit comes charging at them, loading his weapon and shooting towards Bucky and Steve.
''Get down!'' Rogers exclaims as he pushes Bucky behind him, shielding them both with his shield.
The huge blast makes a blow in the side of the train, leaving a huge hole in the middle. Steve gets blown to the side, while Bucky grabs the Captains shield and starts shooting at the man.
Suddenly, a loud blast makes Barnes go flying a few feet back. The sergeant manages to hang onto a steel pipe on the outside of the train.
''Bucky!'' Steve screams as he moves onto the train, using the railing to guide him. ''Hang on!'' he yells.
''Grab my hand!'' Rogers yells as he moves closer, Bucky also softly moving towards him as fear creeps up in both their stomachs.
''No!'' Steve yells, his voice overlapping with Bucky's screams as he falls down.
His eyes are wide and his mouth is agape, his hand still reaching up in the sky as his body falls down.
Steve watches as his body disappears in the large, snowy mountains, the train still moving.
The Captain processes his thoughts, his breathing becoming staggered when he realises Bucky is gone.
Bucky, his lifelong best friend, the one person he could share everything with, his brother, was now gone.
Steve let's go, sobs escaping his mouth as he looks down, he hangs their for what feels like eternity as he grieves Bucky, before finally entering the train again.
The mission is done, Steve pointlessly walks through the cabins of the train. His body feeling numb of the pain as his brain is still in denial.
Bucky is gone.
''Stevie?'' Freya asks from behind as she sees his body slumping towards the communication room.
Steve turns around, and the look in his face makes the Goddess' heart drop. Her eyes widen as she moves closer to him, the look of terror in his eyes only confirming her thoughts.
Suddenly, a loud sob escapes Rogers' mouth as he leaps forward, wrapping himself around Freya's body. The hot tears strain Steve's cheek as he buries himself into Freya's hair, trying his best to calm himself, which doesn't work.
Tears escape Freya's eyes at Steve's sobs. It has to be, Bucky is gone. The two both cry as their arms are wrapped together.
The Goddess' body slightly shakes, her sweaty hands clinging to the Bucky's dog tag around her neck, one her friend had given her a few months earlier.
Her heart deeply hurts at the thought of Bucky's tragic death. Freya's breathing gets staggered at the thought of living life without a part of the Three Musketeers.
Freya sniffles as she looks at Steve, whispering things in his ears as to how it wasn't his fault.
Steve doesn't believe her.
⭑ ⭑ ⭑
''Doctor Erskine said that the serum wouldn't just affect my muscles, it would affect my cells. Create a protective system of regeneration and healing. Which means I can't get drunk, did you know that?''
''Well, your metabolism does burn four times faster than that of the average human.'' Freya says as she sadly looks down at Steve.
The Captain looks up at her, Freya meeting his teary-eyed gaze for the first time. He pats on his thigh, gesturing for the Goddess to sit down.
Freya smiles at him, sitting down on his left leg with her face towards his.
The Goddess slowly combs her hands through his hair, before planting a kiss on his lips.
''It wasn't your fault.'' The Goddess of Love and War says after a minute of silence, the tears that fall from Steve's eyes now mirrored with Freya's same ones.
''Frey, I told you what happened, didn't i?'' Steve says softly as he sings. ''Yes.'' Freya sighs sadly. ''Than you know that's not true.''
''You did everything you could, hero. You believed in Bucky, you respected him. Just as I did, right?'' the Goddess says, Steve looks up at her as tears escape from his eyes freely.
The Captain simply nods, Freya sends him a sad smile. ''Then stop blaming yourself.''
''I'm going after Schmidt. I'm not gonna stop until all of Hydra is dead or captured. ''
''And you won't be alone.'' The Goddess says with a sad smile, planting a kiss on Steve's lips as he wraps his arms closer around her body.
⭑ ⭑ ⭑
''Schmidt's working with powers beyond our capabilities. He gets across the Atlantic, he'll wipe out the entire Eastern Seaboard in an hour.'' Howard explains as he looks around the room, everyone listening carefully.
Steve throws down the file in his hand in defeat, looking at Freya hopelessly as he thinks things over.
''How much time we got?'' Gabe asks as he looks at the Colonel. ''According to my new best friend, under 24 hours.'' he replies sarcastically.
''Where is he now?'' another man asks ''Hydra's last base is here. In the Alps, 500 feet below the surface.'' Phillips replies as he throws the pictures on the table.
''Well, what are we going to do? It's not like we can just knock on the from door.'' Jim Morita says with a defeated sigh.
Suddenly, an idea pops into Steve's head. ''Why not?'' he asks, making everyone look at the Captain in surprise and confusion.
''That's exactly what we'll do.''
⭑ ⭑ ⭑
Steve easily moves though the soldiers, taking them down for the others to follow.
Freya was behind, using her enchanted combat skill to kick down men left right. The Goddess has to refrain from using her powers, as she doesn't want to give anything away.
Suddenly, flamethrowers make a circle around the two who are now standing back to back with each other. Dozens of soldiers circle around them with their weapons pulled up, leaving the couple to be forced to surrender.
A few minutes later both Steve and Freya are being walked into the base, the two go their separate ways at the end of a hallway with one last longing glance.
''So..'' the Red Skull finally sighs. ''What makes you so special?'' he asks coldly.
''Nothing,'' Steve replies with a smirk as he looks the man up and down. ''I'm just a kid from Brooklyn.''
Suddenly, the Red Skull gives Rogers a hard slap, continuously punching him while the guards hold him down.
Steve groans as he lands on the floor, breathing heavily as he looks up.
''I can do this all day.''
''Of course you can, of course. Unfortunately I am on a tight schedule.'' he replies, grabbing one of his infamous Hydra weapons and pointing it at the Captain.
''So am I.'' Steve says when several members of the Howling Commandos come bursting through the window.
The men starts continuously shooting, bringing down many soldiers effortlessly as the Red Skull makes a break for it.
''Rogers! You might need this!'' Montgomery says as he throws the shield towards Steve. ''Thanks!'' he yells back before running away.
Freya emerges from another room, after easily turning the guards to stone.
She grabs the guns from one of the soldiers and starts shooting at the Hydra guards coming their way, while Dum Dum orders for the assault room to come in.
The Goddess shoots down a soldier, who's using his fire thrower to aim at Steve.
The Captain runs towards her, worriedly studying her features. ''Are you okay?'' Steve frantically asks.
''I'm fine, hero.'' Freya replies with a smile, before standing on her tippy toes and planting a kiss on his lips.
Rogers looks towards the door which is being held open by his shield, before he hesitantly looks back at Freya.
''Go.'' the Goddess of Love and War says as she sees the doubt on her boyfriends face.
Steve nods, but doesn't move. ''Steven, go!'' Freya orders, making Steve sigh and run away. ''I love you, be safe!'' the Goddess yells after him.
''I love you more.'' Steve yells back over his shoulders before he runs away.